Traffic light signal



NOV- 12, 1940 `.1. E. sNELLlNG TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 19, 1940 a, z 3 4 4 f 4 9 R i f f 2 Y Zw W 3 w 3k l `f/v D w E 3 3 y llfwl 9v 2 l Jo f f4 M 2 M 1 o s n l M ,mww 2,22 V V Mmmm? wma/7,4 a w m l H lv v H M 2. M IH \\\\\\S\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ a M H .2 Y 7M a x a Je 6 4 d 2.

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ATTORNEYS.

l Nov. l2, 1940.k

J. E.- SNELLIN'G TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL Filed Feb. 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 JIJ. Amaury'- IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEYS..

NOV. l2, 1.940. J', E, sNELLlNq 2,221,272

TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL Filed Feb. 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 KDL JZ y el.' .AY-Melli@ INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 12, 1940. y J E SNELLING 2,221,272

' TRAFFIC LIGHT SIIGNAL Filed Feb. 19, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

ATTURNEYS.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES TRAFFIC LIGHT SIGNAL Jesse Elmer Snelling, Columbus,` Ohio Y Application February 19, 1940, Serial No 319,769

signal which is simple and compact in const'rucj` tion and can be installed readily.

` With the foregoing and other objects -in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts herein- 2, after more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made inthe construction and arrangement of parts without departing vfrom. the spirit of the invention as claimed. 25. In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure lis a.V central vertical section through the device, parts being broken away. f Figure-2 is a section on line 2 2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Figure 1. Figure 4 is an. enlarged elevation of one of the latches, adjacent parts being shown in section.

Figure 5"'is an enlarged section through a portion of the post and the rotatable sleeve thereon. Figure 6 is a section on line 66, Figure 5. Figure 7 is an elevation of a modied form of traic light. Y

Figure 8 is an enlarged central vertical section therethrough.

v 'gure 9 is a plan view with the cover removed and aportion shown in section.

Figurel is a section on line III-flo., Figure 8-. Referring to thel figures by characters of refer-r ence, l designates a cylindrical housing having preferably a. conical top' 2 joined by a tubular post 3 tothe center of the base 4 of the housing. The upper end of thispost can be suitably con-v nected to a support..` For example an eye 5 can be. attached to the post and a supporting cable 6.' can bev extended therethrough.

A setV of lower windows VI- is provided in the lower portion of the wall of housing l. The centers of these windows are. preferably approximately ninety degrees apart and the windows are (Cl. 116-63) n spaced apart at their ends." Each vwindow isl closed, in the structure illustrated,r with a translucent sheet lA which can be of any desired color but preferably amber which is the color commonly empolyefd to indicate caution y l y v Above the windows 6 is a set of upper windows 8` corresponding in position to the' windows 6 and closed preferably by sheets 9 of transparent glass` Mounted' f6? rotation `011 the post 3 is asleeve or the like.

I0 the lower end of which. can bearupon a collar I I on the post. This sleeve is connected by spokes .l

I 2 or the like to al drum I3 supported adjacent to the wall of housing .I and containing arcuate translucent panels 4I4 and I 5 alternatelyv arranged, the panels I4 being of .one color and the panels I5 of another color.` For exam'plethe panels I4 can be ofV red glass or thelike while the panels l5 are of green glass. f

Drum I3'can be open Iat the top` and bottom notch I6 providing a stop shoulder. n Lamps l1 are connected to the rotatable sleeve I0 and are located. in line vwithvthe respective` panels of the drum. fI'heterminals of the lamps A bracket 2l is secured to the inner sidel ofhousing I' adjacent to one end of 'each window 6 and these bracketsare spaced apart equal distances. lachv bracket has a latch slidably mounted therein as shown at 22, there beingy a stop finger'23 projecting from the upper end of thelatch and normally bearing. upon the bottom Y edge 'of the drum I3.r .A spring 24 `mounted on the latch serves to urge it upwardly. A tripping finger 25 is extended from the lower portion of the latch and projects into the path of a tripping cam 26. 'I'his cam is secured to the outer side of a shutter 21 -consisting of opposed arcuate members 28 upstanding from a ring 29 inthe form of a circular gear. This gear is in, constant vmesh with a gear 30 carried by ther shaft 3|- of an electric motor 32. Lamps Ilv are mounted on post 3 between' the shutters and are included in the electricy circuit with lampsl I'I' and motor 32.

The upper portion of the shutter is provided With radial spokes 33 extending from a bearing and it can be provided in its bottom edge with ya ring 34 which is rotatably mounted on sleeve I0 and is supported by a collar 35 on said sleeve. Thus the shutter is held properly centered and supported.

A coiled spring 36 is mounted on the sleeve I0 and is anchored at one end thereto as shown at 31 while its other end, 38, is anchored to one of the spokes 33.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3 the windows 8, while centered above the respective windows 6, are narrower than said Windows 6 so that arcuate opaque areas 39 are thus located between the windows 8 and extend over the end portions o the windows 6.

Outwardly extending hoods 40 are located above the respective windows 8 and an additional hood 4I is located above the windows 6.

In practice the lamps are lighted and `whenV the motor 32 is energized it causes the drum 2'I to rotate at a predetermined speed. This causes the cut-off portions 28 of the shutter to vmove slowly into position between opposed windows 6 so as togradually cut 0E the light from the panels 'I adjacent thereto. At the same time the shutter members will gradually withdraw from across the remaining windows 6 so that light will gradually be allowed to filter therethrough in a gradually widening area. During this movement one of the latches 22 has its finger 23 seated in the notch I6 Where it is engaged by the stop shoulder so that the drum I 3 cannot `rotate in the same direction with the drum 2'I. It might here be stated that when drum 21 is rotated it tends to wind the spring 36. As soon as two of the shutterL members 28 move into position to completely cut oif the escape of light rays through opposed windows 6, the cam 26 whichl has been rotating with these shutter members, comes against the lower.

on tripping finger 25 of the spring-supported `latch 22 which is seated in notch I6 so that said latch is pulled downwardlyl out of the notch. This immediately releases the upper drum I3 which is thus free to rotate through a' one-quarter turn until the stop shoulder formedby notch I6 comes against the next latch in the path thereof. This movement will be suflicient to shift the panels I4 and I5, through 90 degrees so as to change.

the light in the windows 8. Immediately thereafter the panels I below ,the green light there- ;above are gradually covered by the revolving shutter members 28 during which time the upper drum is held against rotation but the transmission spring 36 is placed under increasing tension. This continues until cam 26 travels through another one-quarter turn whereupon the restraining latch 22 is pulled downwardly to release the drum I3 and said drum again rotates through ninety degrees to again change the upper lights. This of course occurs as soon as the caution light beneath each green light has been wiped out true whether the driver is approaching the redA -light or the green light. l

In the structure illustrated in Figures 7 to 10 inclusive a greatly simplied mechanism has been provided. In this modified structure the housing, which is preferably provided with a lconi- `cal top 43 similar to the top 2. has properly the housing- 42.

spaced Windows 44 and 45, the windows 44 being oppositely disposed and the windows 45 also being oppositely disposed. Over each of these windows can be located a hood 46 and each window can be closed with colorless glass as shown at 4'I. Below the windows is located an annular hood 48 arranged above windows 49 which have their cent-ers directly under the respective windows 44 and 45 and are of such lengths as to be separated solely by narrow strips 50. These windows49 are preferably closed with amber glass as indicated at 5|.

The base 52 of the housing has a central bearing 53 in which is journalled the lower end of the shaft A54 the upper end of which is journalled in a frame or spider 55 secured in the upper end of Depending from this frame 55 in line witheach of the windows 44 and 45 is a lamp 56 and these lamps are adapted to be constantly energized while the structure is functioning. Obviously the number of lamps employed can be increased or reduced to meet the requirements.

shaft 54 has a bearing' conar'si 0n which is mounted a ring 58 having radial arms 59 and these arms are provided at their outer -ends with posts 60 the upper ends of which are ixedly secured'to the top ring v6I of a drum 62. This drum also includes.a bottom ring 63 connected to the post and supported between and bythe two rings of the drum are translucent segments 64 and 65 each of which extends through approximately degrees. The segments 64 yare preferably green While the segmentsy `65l areA preferably red. These segments are ,located where they will bepositioned successively behind the respective window openings44 and. 45, the two green segments being diametrically opposed while the two red segmentsare likewise diainetrically opposed. Posts 66 are extendeddownwardly from ithe outer ends of the arms A59 and serve to connect a ring-gear 6,1 to said arms w58.- They alsoserve to support 'opposed arcuate shutters 68 each of whichextends through approximately 90 degrees, these shutters being Vlocated beneath the red segments 65.-v

An electric motoror the like has been'indicated at 69 and is adapted to transmit motion through the gear 'lto' the gear 67,' any suitable speed reductionv means4 indicated generally at 1I, being employed. p

Obviously when the motor is operating and the lamp'lighted, the drum will slowly rotate in one direction. 'Some of the light rays from the lamp 56 will be `inte'rzepted by the shutters 68 as they move-with gear Bland the positions of the advancing ends of these shutters as viewed through the amber portions 5I, will indicate the time remaining preparatory to a change of Qsign'al. At the same time, whilel red is showing-through one set of windows 44 or 45, green ,will be showing through the other window and each'shutter is so proportioned that *during its movement to gradually shut off two of the amberlights,` the remaining amber lights will be gradually exposed. At the same time the redlights appearing in one set of' Windows will gradually change to green while the green lights are'v gradually changing to red and the changed lights will remain exposed for the desired period ofA time whereupon they will change back, the green returning to red and the red returning to lgreen. `vIt is while these lights are'exposed that the driver approaching or lstanding at theA crossing can determine, by theposition of the shutters'- back of the amber lights the time elapsing before there is a complete change of lights.

What is claimed is:

1. A traffic light signal including a housing having annularly spaced lower windows of one color indicating caution and annularly spaced upper Windows centered above the respective lower windows, a motor-actuated drum rotatable in the housing and having opposed shutter menibers movable into position across the lower windows successively, an upper drum rotatable between the upper windows and having opposed panels of one color and interposed panels of another color oppositely disposed, resilient means for transmitting motion from the lower drum to the upper drum, annularly spaced latches in the housing, means on the upper drum for engaging one of the latches after a limited movement of the upper drum in one direction thereby to hold the drum against further partial rotation, and means operated by the lower drum for actuating the drum-holding latch to release ,the upper drum for further partial rotation after the lower drum has been rotated a predetermined distance.

2. A traic light signal including a housing having annularly spaced lower windows of one color indicating caution and annularly spaced upper windows centered above Athe respective lower windows a motor-actuated drum rotatable in the housing and having opposed shutter members movable into and out of position across the lower windows successively to expose and blot out light to the windows from within the housing, an upper drum rotatable between the upper windows and having opposed panels of one color and opposed panels of .another color, the latter panels being interposed between the rst panels, said panels being translucent, a spring anchored to the respective drums and constituting means for transmitting motion from the lower drum to the upper drum, regularly spaced latches within the housing, means on the upper drum for engaging one of the latches, thereby to be held against rotation by the spring, said lower drum, when vannularly spaced upper windows centered above the respective lower windows, a continuously rotatable lower drum having opposed shutter members movable successively into and out of position across the respective lower windows, an upper drum rotatable between the upper windows and having opposed panels of one color and opposed `panels of another color,l the latter panels being interposed between the first panels, and means operated by the lower drum during the continuous rotation thereof for intermittently rotating the upper drum.

4. A traiiic light signal including a housing having spaced lower windows of one color and annularly spaced upper windows centered above the respective lower windows, a continuously ro tatable lower drum having opposed shutter mem-v vbers movable successively into and out oi posi- 1 tion across the respective lower windows, an upper drum rotatable between the upper windows and having opposed panels oi one color and opposed panels of another color, the latter panels being interposed between the first panels, and means operated by the lower drum during the continuous rotation thereof, for intermittently rotating the upper drum, said means including a spring connection between the drums adapted to be placed under tension during the movement of the lower drum independently of the other drum, separate latches, means on the upper drum for successively engaging the latches, and means carried by the lower drum for successively actuating the latches following their engagement by the upper drum.

JESSE ELMER SNEILNG. 

